Bad Blood
by FroggyClan is Awesome
Summary: Tensions rise around the Lake. ShadowClan has introduced a new section to the warrior code, forbidding kittypets from joining the Clans, and ThunderClan is not happy. Alderpaw of ShadowClan and Emberpaw of ThunderClan take huge risks by going against their Clans and the code to meet each other and perhaps make peace. Will they be heroes, or will they lose everything they ever knew?
1. Prologue

**Hello, readers, and welcome to FroggyClan's group story, _Bad Blood_!**

I am Gingehfish, the admin of FroggyClan. We are a forum in the Warriors section of FFN. We are a fun, happy community that appreciates new members. :) We have decided to write a group story, suggested by the amazing Skystorm.

**This group story will feature four writers:**

Myself, the admin (Gingehfish)

My RL friend and mod, Shadow (Shadowstroke)

Another RL friend, Brainy (Sagebrainy)

And our good friend Sky (Skystar of the Ancients)

**Our story follows the lives of two apprentices, Emberpaw of ThunderClan and Alderpaw of ShadowClan.**

_Tensions rise around the Lake. ShadowClan has introduced a new section to the warrior code, forbidding kittypets from joining the Clans, and ThunderClan is not happy. Alderpaw of ShadowClan and Emberpaw of ThunderClan take huge risks by going against their Clans and the code to meet each other and perhaps make peace. Will they be heros, or will they lose everything they ever knew?_

**This story will be updated approximately every other week.**

**Credits:**

_Today's chapter is the prologue, brought to you by myself, Gingehfish!_

_Our cover art was made by Sky._

_The summary was written by Sky and myself._

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

* * *

**Bad Blood**

* * *

**Allegiances**

**ShadowClan**

**Leader: **Applestar—dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes (Apprentice, Morningpaw)

**Deputy: **Elmtail—dark gray tom with amber eyes

**Medicine cat: **Robinwing—light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice, Brackenpaw)

**Warriors: **Mudpelt—golden brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Hawktail—dark gray tom with amber eyes  
Lionpelt—golden tabby tom with blue eyes (Apprentice, Heatherpaw)  
Puddlefur—light gray she-cat with blue eyes.  
Webclaw—dark gray she-cat with green eyes (Apprentice, Whisperpaw)  
Mousetail—dusty brown tom with green eyes  
Spiderfur—black tom with amber eyes (Apprentice, Alderpaw)  
Thrushpelt—brown-and-gray tabby tom with green eyes  
Icewhisker—pale gray she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice, Ferretpaw)  
Treeclaw—dark brown tom with amber eyes  
Hailfur—gray tom with blue eyes

**Apprentices:** Brackenpaw—dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes  
Heatherpaw—light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Ferretpaw—small black-colored tom with blue eyes  
Alderpaw—brown tabby tom with blue eyes  
Whisperpaw—gray-pelted she-cat with blue eyes  
Morningpaw—dark gray she-cat with green eyes

**Queens: **Russetheart—reddish she-cat with green eyes; mother of Lionpelt's kits: Squirrelkit, Breezekit, and Burrkit  
Nutfur—brown she-cat with yellow eyes; mother of Thrushpelt's kits: Willowkit and Crowkit  
Quailfoot—pale ginger she-cat with yellow eyes; expecting Hailfur's kits

**Kits: **Squirrelkit—ginger she-cat with white paws and blue eyes  
Breezekit—black tom with yellow eyes  
Burrkit—reddish tom with green eyes  
Willowkit—pale gray she-cat with a long tail and green eyes  
Crowkit—dark gray tom with lighter flecks and amber eyes.

**Elders: **Fallencloud—white she-cat with dark blue eyes  
Reedheart—dark brown she-cat with gray markings on her muzzle and ears

* * *

**ThunderClan**

**Leader:** Ivystar—black-furred she-cat with white markings and blue eyes

**Deputy:** Sparrowfeather—brown tom with red spots and green eyes (Apprentice, Icepaw)

**Medicine cat:** Lilywhisker—light brown she-cat with yellow eyes (Apprentice, Blackfur)

**Warriors: **Juniperpelt—brown she-cat with fur and blue eyes  
Puddlenose—light gray tom with white paws and amber eyes  
Cedarclaw—brown tom with green eyes (Apprentice, Emberpaw)  
Frostpelt—small gray tom with black specks and blue eyes  
Hazelshade—dark brown she-cat with amber eyes  
Darktail—gray tom with a black tail and blue eyes (Apprentice, Acornpaw)  
Bumblefoot—pale ginger tom with green eyes  
Weedfur—black-furred she-cat with yellow eyes (Apprentice, Skypaw)  
Spotfur—black and brown she-cat with blue eyes  
Raintail—dark gray she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentices: **Blackfur—dark brown tom with lighter brown spots and amber eyes  
Skypaw—silver and black she-cat with blue eyes  
Acornpaw—brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Emberpaw—black-furred she-cat with amber eyes  
Icepaw—white-furred tom with blue eyes

**Queens:** Brightfur—ginger she-cat with blue eyes, expecting Bumblefoot's kits

**Elders: **Cloverleaf—light gray tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Harepelt—graying ginger tom with green eyes

* * *

**WindClan**

**Leader: **Dawnstar—pale gray she-cat with yellow eyes

**Deputy: **Olivetail—brown she-cat and green eyes

**Medicine cat:** Eaglefoot—cream-and-brown tom with blue eyes

**Warriors: **Patchtail—black-and-white tom with blue eyes  
Shadefur—dark gray tom with yellow eyes (Apprentice, Moorpaw)  
Oakpelt—dark brown tom with blue eyes (Apprentice, Berrypaw)  
Kestrelfoot—pale gray she-cat green eyes (Apprentice, Larkpaw)  
Russetclaw—dark ginger tom with amber eyes  
Brookpelt—pale brown she-cat and green eyes (Apprentice, Ashpaw)  
Whiteblaze—white tom with green eyes (Apprentice, Orangepaw)  
Mapletail—gray tabby tom with blue eyes  
Jayclaw—white she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice, Sandpaw)  
Fernheart—brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentices: **Orangepaw—ginger tom with green eyes  
Berrypaw—gray she-cat with blue eyes  
Moorpaw—black tom with yellow eyes  
Larkpaw—brown tabby she-cat with yellow eyes  
Ashpaw—cream-and-gray she-cat with a short tail and brown eyes  
Sandpaw—dark tawny she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens:** Weaselfur—dark brown she-cat with yellow eyes; mother of Whiteblaze's kit: Brownkit  
Redfur—ginger she-cat with green eyes; mother of Oakpelt's kits: Weaselkit, Breezekit, Waterkit, and Nightkit

**Kits:** Brownkit—brown she-cat with green eyes  
Weaselkit—ginger tom with blue eyes  
Breezekit—dark brown tom with yellow eyes  
Waterkit—gray tom with blue eyes  
Nightkit—black she-cat with green eyes

**Elders:** Dustclaw—brown tabby she-cat  
Birchclaw—pale gray tom with dark blue eyes

* * *

**RiverClan**

**Leader: **Pikestar—brown tom with yellow eyes

**Deputy: **Frostclaw—white tom with white front left paw and blue eyes

**Medicine cat: **Icepelt—black and white she-cat with green eyes (Apprentice, Gopherpaw)

**Warriors: **Mothfur—brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Ferntail—silvery gray she-cat with green eyes  
Nightfur—black-furred tom with dark blue eyes (Apprentice, Graypaw)  
Rushpelt—dark brown tom with amber eyes (Apprentice, Leafpaw)  
Sootclaw—fluffy gray she-cat with black spots and green eyes  
Lakebreeze—tortoiseshell she-cat with white markings  
Russetheart—dark brown tom with amber eyes  
Frostheart—sandy-colored tom with dark amber eyes.  
Ashclaw—long-furred black tom with pale blue eyes (Apprentice, Flypaw)  
Mintfur—white she-cat with green eyes (Apprentice, Stonepaw)  
Stormclaw—dark gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentices: **Leafpaw—ginger tom with brown markings and brown eyes  
Stonepaw—gray tom with darker gray spots and yellow eyes  
Flypaw—light brown-and-gray tom with blue eyes  
Graypaw—gray she-cat with green eyes  
Gopherpaw—dark brown tom with blue eyes

**Queens:** Streamfur—dark ginger she-cat with green eyes; mother of Nightfur's kits: Wildkit, Birchkit, and Sandkit  
Rosepelt—brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes; expecting Ashclaw's kits

**Kits: **Wildkit—striped tabby tom with yellow eyes  
Birchkit—cream-and-black tom with green eyes  
Sandkit—sandy-furred she-cat with amber eyes

* * *

**Prologue**

It was a clear night, the full moon shining down on the island in the south of the lake. On the island, there were cats in abundance, with furs of black, gray, white, ginger and more. Eyes flashed and the cats hissed. What was being discussed by the four cats up high in the tallest tree was not being well taken to.

One cat, a large, dark brown tabby she-cat, yowled out, "The kittypets, rogues, and loners are cankers in our fine societies! They must be removed!" Her green eyes flashed with passion, and she seemed to speak mostly to a slim, black-furred she-cat on the branch opposite.

The black-furred she-cat growled in anger, straightening, the moonlight shining on the white streaks in her pelt. "This request is ridiculous, Applestar! All of the Clans need new blood at times—ShadowClan has taken in outsiders as well!"

The other two cats in a tree, one a brown tom, the other a pale gray she-cat, shifted uncomfortably, exchanging glances. Tension hung in the air, until at last the harsh silence was broken by the tom.

"I must agree with Applestar," he said, his yellow eyes glancing nervously from the two glaring she-cats. "I am sorry, Ivystar. I know how much ThunderClan depends on your outsiders, but RiverClan has been ruined by those who are not of Clan blood before—do you not remember the tale of Hawkfrost, who was half loner and betrayed his Clan? And his sister Mothwing, the medicine cat who brought us to ruin because she did not believe in StarClan?"

"This is no excuse," the white-streaked black she-cat, the one the tom had called Ivystar, hissed. "Every cat knows the tale of the noble Firestar, who saved _every_ Clan, time and time again!"

"Firestar was sent by StarClan," the third she-cat in the tree said quietly. "He was a true warrior, and never doubted himself or his Clan. But there are so few others who have proved as strong as he was. WindClan has also had it's share of outsiders, and little good has come of it."

Applestar raised her head high and yowled out, "We must change the code! Outsiders, whether they be forrest born or kittypet, are a danger to the Clans! They must be purged from the Clans, and this must be part of the warrior code!"

The pale gray she-cat, the WindClan leader, and the tom, the RiverClan leader, exchanged another uneasy glance, and remained silent.

Ivystar hissed at the ShadowClan leader and resolutely turned her back on the hefty brown she-cat. Applestar glared at the other two leaders and demanded, "Well? Dawnstar? Pikestar? What is your verdict?"

"WindClan has no cats of outside blood," the pale gray she-cat, Dawnstar, shrugged. "We will not allow any outsiders to join us in the future, however—I agree with Applestar. There must be a new part of the code."

Pikestar growled, saying, "I will not drive any of my cats out. All of my warriors are loyal to us, despite the circumstances of their birth. But Applestar is right—no more cats who are not of Clan birth shall be accepted into RiverClan."

Ivystar turned back around, her blue eyes sharp and angry. "ThunderClan will never agree to this! I know what this is about, Applestar! It is not that you hate kittypets and rogues, though that is also true, it is because of the border war!"

A gasp of shock ran through the assembled cats below the tree. They had been watching with anxiety and interest, tense and ready to spring at the slightest offense.

"This is not about the border war, this is about the good of all four Clans!" Applestar yowled.

"You just want a way to antagonize us, and you chose the most absurd way to do it!" Ivystar hissed. "But ThunderClan will never relinquish its territory—or its pride! We will stay strong and firm!"

"ThunderClan has bent and changed so many times that I want to laugh at that statement," Applestar growled, her fur all fluffed up in anger, making her look bigger than she already was. "This is not the end, Ivystar! If another war between our Clans is your wish, then so be it!"

"I do not wish for endless battles!" the black and white she-cat spat out. "But this is a matter worth fighting for! ShadowClan has declared war on ThunderClan, and we accept the challenge!"

Though the sky had been clear but minutes before, a few wisps of gray cloud were now creeping toward the moon and obscuring it for a few, brief heartbeats.

"StarClan is angry," Pikestar, the RiverClan leader, warned in a rumbling voice. "Take your quarrels elsewhere—the Gathering is a time of peace!"

"ThunderClan are leaving now," Ivystar yowled out. "We will return next moon, when Dawnstar and Pikestar have knocked some sense into their heads and join us against ShadowClan's tyranny!"

Ivystar leapt from her tree branch, and, tail and head held high, weaved her way through the crowd until she stood with her Clan amassing around her at the tree bridge. She turned back briefly to listen to what the ShadowClan leader was saying.

"ShadowClan are leaving as well!" Applestar hissed. "Dawnstar, Pikestar—you agree with me! You know that this is right! Will you not join ShadowClan against Ivystar and her Clan of kittypets?"

"WindClan have no wish for war," Dawnstar said firmly, though her amber eyes betrayed her panic. She glanced at Pikestar for support. The huge tom supplied it, stepping along the branch until he was beside the small WindClan leader.

"RiverClan will not fight, either," he growled. "We need to keep our strength—it may be only leaf-fall now, but leaf-bare is coming! If ShadowClan and ThunderClan want to waste resources on a war, so be it, but we will have no part in it."

"Very well," Applestar growled. Then she, too, leapt from her branch and gathered up her Clan as ThunderClan left the island, leaving the shocked RiverClan and WindClan leaders staring after the retreating cats, wondering if the new rule in the code was worth all of the blood to be shed.


	2. One

Thank you to our reviewers, favoriters and followers!

Here is chapter one, brought to you by Sky, who is currently going by Skystar of the Ancients!

Here we meet one of our protagonists, Alderpaw of ShadowClan, and we learn what _he_ thinks of this new rule in the code...

* * *

**One**

"Alderpaw, wake up!" Alderpaw's mentor barked at him. Alderpaw groaned, remembering that he had to join the dawn patrol today.

_I hate the dawn patrol! _Alderpaw thought to himself. _It's all because those filthy kittypet warriors! Ever since Applestar tried to cleanse the forest, Ivystar has been hounding our border and our border patrol has been harder than ever. _He sighed as he followed the patrol out of camp. ShadowClan may not have much undergrowth, but as ShadowClan cats, they can blend into the shadows that surround their home.

As we walked to the border, Alderpaw noticed Spiderfur and Treeclaw whispering to each other. While they were talking, Alderpaw gazed around and marveled at his home. The marsh provided lush greenery, and he looked upwards trying to catch a glimpse of the sky through the tall pine trees.

Becoming bored, Alderpaw walked over to the other apprentices on the patrol. Morningpaw, his sister, had her dark gray pelt fluffed up, looking like she was cold, though the real reason was because of her irritation toward Ferretpaw, a black tom with icy blue eyes, who was talking his mouth off. Diving in to save his sister, Alderpaw struck up a conversation with the chatty Ferretpaw.

"So, Ferretpaw, how soon do you think we will become warriors?" Alderpaw asked, trying to think up a conversation.

"Well you became an apprentice about two and a half moons ago. And I was made an apprentice four moons ago. So I will most definitely become an apprentice before you. Unless I get injured or…"

Ferretpaw kept on chatting about the possibilities of how his warrior ceremony may be delayed and such, so Alderpaw tuned him out and focused his senses on the border. _Only the stale scent of kittypet warriors, _he sighed inwardly.

Treeclaw, Morningpaw's mentor, and Spiderfur finished talking with a nod, and Spiderfur stopped walking so the apprentices could catch up with him. "Alderpaw, I want to test your hunting skills while Treeclaw, Icewhisker, and their apprentices finish up the patrol," he said, and without waiting for Alderpaw's reply, he continued, "Try and catch what's in that bush." He flicked his tail at a nearby bush.

Alderpaw angled his ears to detect a heartbeat and pinpoint the prey's location. Lifting his nose in the air, he scented the prey was a mouse. _Remember, a mouse can feel your foot steps, _he reminded himself. As softly as possible, Alderpaw crept up on the mouse. Leveling his haunches and keeping his tail straight, Alderpaw sprang.

His paws landed and he quickly killed the mouse. His ears perked up as he heard a squeal. Alderpaw looked curiously at the mouse. _Didn't I kill it fast enough?_

"Alderpaw!" a familiar voice cried. _Morningpaw! _he realized suddenly. He dropped his prey and made a beeline for the border.

"Morningpaw!" Alderpaw shouted. _ThunderClan is attacking the border! _Couragously, Alderpaw jumped into the fray, his heart pounding. He saw his sister pinned beneath a huge brown tom and rushed to her aid. Jumping on the tom's back, he clawed his spine while Morningpaw attacked his belly. They only let him go when he begged for mercy.

Turning around, Alderpaw was about to go help his mentor, but a silver and black she-cat jumped him. They clawed each other rolling on the ground, until Alderpaw was on top.

"Pathetic kittypet!" he sneered. "Why try so hard to defend yourself when you can't even fight?"

"Hey! I am not a kittypet," the she-cat hissed.

"Whatever you say... kittypet," Alderpaw said scornfully. Her soft silver fur was evidence enough that she wasn't forest born—Clan cats didn't often have such bright colors in their pelts.

That made her mad. "I have a name, you know!"

"And what would that be?"

"My name is Skypaw."

Alderpaw thought that over and replied, "Whatever. You will always be a kittypet in my eyes."

The she-cat screeched at his words and with a mighty heave, rolled over so now she was on top. "Listen, you pathetic piece of fox dung! I _am_ a warrior."

"Ha!" Alderpaw laughed. "You will _never_ be a warrior. You have the blood of a kittypet."

"You don't understand, do you? You'll never understand, and that's because you were forest born. Why should I be responsible for my blood?" Skypaw snarled. "I never asked to be born a kittypet! It just happened, but I was offered a better life. One where I could be free! And now I am being judged for something that wasn't my fault!"

Skypaw bared her teeth at Alderpaw, wrestling free from his grip until. He gasped—he hadn't expected her to escape. In a heartbeat, she was now the one on top of him. He closed his eyes and braced himself for inevitable pain, but it never came.

He opened his eyes to see Skypaw had gotten off of him.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Alderpaw was genuinely curious.

"The warrior code says that a true warrior doesn't need to kill in order to win a battle. Maybe instead of worrying about blood, you should learn it." Skypaw jumped over him and back into the fray. Alderpaw was so shocked about what had just happened, that he almost missed the black blur of cat that was heading deeper into his territory. With a yowl he chased after the other apprentice.

He heard another screech and saw that a fox had cornered the black apprentice. Instincts taking over, he forgot she was from an enemy Clan and he leapt at the fox. Latching onto its ear, he tore at its face. The other apprentice taking onto his lead jumped onto its back. They both clawed onto the fox until the fox shook them off, running in pain.

"Good job," the black apprentice congratulated Alderpaw.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my territory?"

"My name is Emberpaw," the black apprentice replied. "During the battle, I was jumped by a black apprentice. I had to go _somewhere_."

_Ferretpaw, _he thought to himself. "Well, go home! This is _ShadowClan_ territory!" He would have chased her off, but suddenly he was _really_ tired.

The she-cat, Emberpaw, nodded and took off. Alderpaw dragged his tired body back to camp, meeting the rest of the patrol on the way. Ferretpaw told him that they chased ThunderClan off. The apprentices were told to go to the medicine cat to check their wounds. Alderpaw had only a few scratches, nothing serious.

"Would you like some poppy seeds to help you sleep?" the medicine cat, Robinwing, asked him.

"Yes, please," he replied absentmindedly. He lapped up the tiny seeds and feel asleep, thinking about the strange silver she-cat, Skypaw, and the mysterious black she-cat, Emberpaw.


	3. Two

Thanks once again to our reviewers, favoriters, and followers!

In chapter two, we meet our second protagonist, Emberpaw of ThunderClan. Does she support her leader, Ivystar, in the war for the freedom of kittypets? Or does she resent the fighting and agree with Applestar?

This chapter was brought to you by my co-mod, the talented Shadowstroke. Shadow is currently masquerading as 'Fruitatee'. It's an inside joke (and it's probably better you don't ask XD).

* * *

**Two**

The air was still cold when Emberpaw awoke in the apprentice den. She stretched, her thick black fur standing on end as she did so, the slight breeze that permeated the den ruffling it. Her amber eyes blinked to adjust to the light, and she headed out.

No other cat was out there, and she revelled in the fact that, at the moment, the camp was quiet and at ease. Well, as close to ease as it could be, given their current feud with ShadowClan. If they were to attack at a time like this, in the pale gray hours of early morning, the Clan would be woefully unprepared. Emberpaw's whole view of the quiet peace suddenly shifted, and instead of being calmed by the inactivity, she was on edge. What could she do if they attacked? Get her mentor? But surely the ShadowClan cats wouldn't let her escape their clutches.

_We really need a night watch,_ she thought, then sighed and went back in her den to sleep a few more minutes.

Of course, that didn't work out well. In what felt like no time at all, her mentor Cedarclaw was prodding her awake with his paw. "Wake up," he demanded, gruff but not unkind.

She yawned sleepily despite the fact she hadn't been asleep. "What?" she grumbled.

"We've got a hunting patrol pretty soon. Our warriors need their strength, after all." His tail flicked back and forth as if this topic made him vaguely uncomfortable, but he did not volunteer any further information.

_Need strength for what?_ Emberpaw's eyes narrowed, and she fixed Cedarclaw with an accusing stare. "Why?" she asked, bringing voice to the question in her head.

Cedarclaw shifted slightly, then answered her question. "Ivystar has demanded an attack on ShadowClan."

At those words, the remnants of her former sleepiness were banished. "Another one? Why?" she demanded again, this time harsher.

Her mentor's eyes flickered. It was clear he didn't approve of the violence any more than she did, but the rest of the Clan seemed fine with it, apparently. "The war, with the new code. I think it's more of a power struggle between her and Applestar, honestly."

"What will Ivystar do if someone gets injured or killed because of a simple power struggle?" This was an awful idea, and Emberpaw was going to make it known.

"I don't like this any more than you do, Emberpaw," Cedarclaw mewed, trying to quell her rising anger while avoiding answering her question. "But I also don't want any of our Clanmates hurt. They'll need some food, and so we hunt."

Emberpaw was not swayed. "What if someone gets hurt in something so trivial seeming?" she growled, making it clear she was not going to be put off again.

After a pause, Cedarclaw answered. "I don't know. But there's a less chance of that happening if we do our jobs. Come on." He turned and stalked away, patience wearing thin at last.

Emberpaw waited a few moments to prove a point, then left the den and followed him outside the camp.

Cedarclaw looked up when he saw her approaching, but did not greet her like he usually did, giving her only a terse nod. "Emberpaw," he started, and the young black-furred apprentice was relieved to hear no anger or huge amounts of impatience in his voice. His disapproval was not aimed at her, and he was trying to be just as cordial with her as always. "Where do you think would be a good place to hunt today?"

For a brief moment, she wondered why he needed her help, then she shook her head. _He's just testing you, mouse-brain._

"It's early," she began slightly hesitantly. "And coldish, so the prey will mostly still be underground. They won't be eating, so the nutty area by the oak tree's out."

"Go on." Her mentor's deep green eyes betrayed surprisingly little emotion at the moment, so she figured he was withholding judgement until she provided an answer. "Uh… the clearing in the middle of our territory might work." She paused. "But there'd be no reason to go in the clearing, because they can't find much food or shelter in it. So… the forest around the clearing?" She finished it as a question, although she was pretty sure in her reasoning. She didn't want Cedarclaw to think she was _too_ sure of herself.

He nodded. "It's as good a place as any. Let's go." He straightened up, stretching the muscles on his back as he did so. "Lead the way, Emberpaw."

She bounded off into the forest, knowing her mentor was right behind her and watching carefully. He made less sound than her, and she knew that was probably a good idea. The dark-furred apprentice slowed, placing her paws more carefully on the undergrowth, trying to keep herself hidden. She felt Cedarclaw slow down too, presumably to stay behind her and watch her movements.

"Bend your legs a little more, get closer to the ground," he instructed. She turned to look, and saw the long, thin furs on his stomach brushing the crushed leaves under him. His ears were pricked. "The closer you are, the easier it is to hear things, like the scrabbling of mouse paws or rabbits that come over from the moore."

Emberpaw copied her mentor's position, and was surprised when she could hear the rustling sound of something moving in the bushes. Her tail flicked excitedly, and she glanced back at Cedarclaw as if seeking permission.

Her mentor caught her gaze, then nodded, amusement shining in his eyes. Apparently, he thought it was funny that she was _asking_ permission.

Closing her eyes, Emberpaw concentrated. She could hear the slight scuffling of the same paws. A vole, she decided. It was scavenging for food in the undergrowth, for nuts or buds, or anything edible.

There. A clump of grasses to her right. Emberpaw tilted her head, trying to pinpoint the creature. After deciding she had it, she pounced at the grass. A high-pitched squeal and a few quivering leaves later, she had a vole pinned in her claws. She quickly leaned down, biting the back of its neck for a painless death. Eyes shining, she looked up at Cedarclaw, only to discover he was gone.

Scenting the air, she found him, separated from her by only a bush. Around him hung the scent of mouse blood, so she figured her mentor had missed her awesome catch. She wasn't disappointed, how could she be if he was serving her Clan? All the same, she wished the fighting with ShadowClan wasn't such a big problem. _I wish I could just be a normal apprentice. Is that really too much to ask?_

Cedarclaw moved around the bush, then set his mouse down by her vole. "I saw that," he said, eyes twinkling with pride. "Very nice. Less noise might be preferable next time."

That made her feel satisfied. She lifted her chin proudly, happy that her mentor had watched instead of just letting her go like she thought he had.

"I think we can split up," Cedarclaw said, trying not to ruin her moment of pride. "You go one way, I'll go the other. Whoever catches the most gets bragging rights."

Emberpaw jumped up, then meowed, "It's on!" and disappeared into the undergrowth, carried on by her energy from her mentor's praise and satisfaction. Her mentor just smiled slightly to himself, remembering fondly the days when just a simple sentence from his mentor-now-elder Cloverleaf could fill him with as much joy.

When the two cats met up not too long afterwards, Emberpaw was very proud of herself. She'd caught a squirrel, a mouse, and a blackbird, plus her vole from earlier. Cedarclaw had caught another mouse and a sparrow.

"I won," Emberpaw remarked, flicking her ears back and forth.

Her mentor laughed softly. "You did. We got a good haul, too." He bent down and picked up his two mice, then spoke through their tails. "Come on, Emberpaw. We're taking these to the camp."

He strode off without waiting for her, leaving her to grab her vole and her squirrel and scramble after him, paws slipping in the dewy leaves. She was so concentrated on not falling that she didn't notice Cedarclaw stopped right in front of her until she crashed into him.

"Ow!" she mewed. "Watch where you're—" At that moment, she caught sight of what made her mentor take pause. A patrol made up of nearly all the able-bodied ThunderClan cats was headed in their direction. Emberpaw even saw her best friends Skypaw and Acornpaw, near the back beside their mentors, Weedfur and Darktail. She saw her mother, Hazelshade, and her father, Frostpelt. Alongside them were the rest of the warriors, Juniperpelt, Puddlenose, Spotfur, Bumblefoot, and Raintail. Emberpaw noticed that Ivystar wasn't there, and neither was Lilywhisker the medicine cat, or her apprentice Darkpaw. But the deputy, Sparrowfeather, was in front, and he had brought his apprentice (who just happened to be her brother Icepaw), although the white-furred young tom was near the back with the others.

The cat in front, Sparrowfeather, immediately moved in toward Cedarclaw. "Cedarclaw! Where have you been?"

The younger warrior drew himself up, steeling himself to argue with his deputy. "I've been hunting," he mewed strongly. "I hoped it would improve our chances in battle."

Sparrowfeather simply hissed, "You should have come back sooner. We wasted valuable time looking for you and your apprentice until one of them remembered you went out. ShadowClan could have prepared themselves in that time! They could be preparing an attack themselves!"

"With all due respect, Sparrowfeather—"

"I don't want to hear it. Just get in position, and try not to hold us up, _again._" The haughty deputy turned away from the brown tom, and bounded away. Some of the younger warriors, like Spotfur, flashed Cedarclaw apologetic looks, but most just ignored him and followed the deputy. Cedarclaw sighed and took a spot at the edge, near Bumblefoot, while Emberpaw fell into position by her brother.

Icepaw looked up and flashed her a grim look. "How do you think this'll turn out?" he asked solemnly, his voice quiet.

"Badly," she meowed back. "Cats are going to get hurt for no valid reason."

Skypaw, the young kittypet who'd most recently joined the clan, leaned forward from her place on Icepaw's other side to hiss, "Defending our Clan's honor is a valid cause, Emberpaw."

Emberpaw liked the silvery she-cat, despite her origins, but sometimes felt she tried too hard to take Clan loyalty seriously. Ah well, at least she wasn't taking it too _lightly._

"We're not defending our Clan's honor, though, Skypaw," Emberpaw pointed out. "Just yours. And do you really want blood shed for you?"

Skypaw fell silent. "It's not just me," she murmured, although she sounded much more subdued.

"No," she agreed, "But you get more from this than Emberpaw or I will."

The silver she-cat's light blue eyes darkened and she waited for a long moment. "I see," she said.

"Hey, Emberpaw, don't be like that," Acornpaw, the tabby beside Skypaw, said brightly. "It's worth it. Skypaw's our friend!"

Emberpaw opened her mouth to reply, but she was interrupted by the deputy. "Quiet back there, apprentices," snapped Sparrowfeather. "We're getting close. We don't want ShadowClan to hear you chattering like birds."

Emberpaw rolled her eyes but remained silent, and she felt Icepaw shrink back a little beside her. She glanced over while they ran and saw her brother's wide, slightly terrified blue eyes and brushed against his shoulder comfortingly. His gaze swept up and met hers, and he nodded slightly in thanks.

They ran on for a few more paces before they ran into a ShadowClan border patrol. It was rather unimpressive, just four cats, two of which seemed to be apprentices. With a long, screeching cry of "_ThunderClan!"_ the deputy charged at the heavyset brown tom closest to him. The cat screeched and twisted away, but he darted back for more, and the battle was on.

Emberpaw saw another two cats make their way into the battle, and saw the younger one's eyes harden as he looked at Cedarclaw, who had a young she-cat pinned underneath him. Emberpaw's own eyes widened as the male clawed hard at her mentor's spine, causing him to cry out and let the she-cat go. Rather than run away, the two apprentices clawed and bit him until his blood ran thickly over much of the undergrowth and he was forced to beg them to let him go.

"_Cedarclaw!"_ she cried a few moments too late, gaze still transfixed in horror at the bloody brown fur of her mentor. She was brought sharply into the present when she felt weight drop down on her back in the form of a black-furred tom leaping at her and snarling. She twisted out from under him, and he managed to surprise her by leaping clear himself and swiftly jumping again. He struck a blow to her side and caused her to fall onto the ground. Emberpaw scrambled to her paws, but not before the tom had made it to her side and slashed with his claws. It wasn't to deep, but it stung and left her a bit disoriented.

The tom paused, as if unsure of what he should do. His blue eyes twinkled in excitement, and she vaguely thought he might be interesting to know if not in these circumstances. Even so, she wasn't just going to sit back and let him injure her. She jumped at him, knocking him off his paws and not wasting time before fleeing deeper into ShadowClan forest.

Several paces further, she knew she heard pawsteps behind her, but she was a bit distracted by the rather large fox standing over her. Emberpaw was cornered, and was considering leaping anyway despite the low chance of survival when the brown tabby tom who'd hurt Cedarclaw earlier was suddenly atop the fox, biting and scratching at its face. The black she-cat considered running away and leaving the ShadowClan apprentice to deal with the fox on his own, but some inner shred of morality inside her made itself heard.

She jumped, aiming for the fox's back and digging in her claws when she felt soft flesh under her paws. She landed right on target, and dug in her claws deep, feeling the blood flow freely from under her. The two enemies fought together, until at last the fox yelped a final time and managed to wrench the two cats off his back and flee, crying, into the forest.

Emberpaw half hoped the fox's desperate flight had carried away the ShadowClan apprentice, but no, he was still there, glaring at her as if she'd put the fox there on purpose. "Good job," she meowed tiredly, hoping that he wouldn't hear how hollow her words were, but at the same time not really caring.

Evidently, he didn't. "Who are you and what are doing in my territory?"

_I'm waging war on your Clan. What does it look like, mouse-brain?_ "My name's Emberpaw," she mewed, still with the same tired voice as before. "During the battle, I was jumped by a black apprentice. I had to go _somewhere._"

His eyes clouded in recognition, so Emberpaw figured the brown apprentice knew the tom who'd attacked her. No matter.

"Well, go home!" He sounded so indignant all of a sudden, it was all Emberpaw could do not to laugh out loud. Who was this little brown cat, trying to tell her what she should do? "This is _ShadowClan_ territory!"

_I noticed,_ she thought dryly. Still, she didn't really want to argue with the brown cat, so she nodded and turned away, racing back toward the battle and her injured mentor.

When she arrived, the field was in chaos. More ShadowClan cats had arrived, and they were forcing ThunderClan backwards. Cedarclaw was nowhere to be seen, but given that Darkpaw was lurking near the back, toward ThunderClan, she figured that Lilywhisker must have taken him back to camp.

_Does that mean the battle's over soon?_ she thought, just before she caught the yowling cry of Sparrowfeather.

"ThunderClan, retreat!" he bellowed. The ThunderClan cats began to peel away from their ShadowClan opponents, running off back toward home. Emberpaw saw the other apprentice who'd hurt Cedarclaw, a dark gray she-cat, smirking after them with a prideful look on her face. Emberpaw felt her pelt bristle up in loathing, even as she herself followed her retreating Clanmates back toward their camp.

As soon as she arrived, she demanded to know where Cedarclaw was. Darkpaw explained that Lilywhisker was keeping all non-injured cats away from the den, so Emberpaw was going to have to wait until the next day to see him. She sighed, ignoring Darkpaw as he spread a coat of goldenrod over her cuts and dabbed up the blood with wet moss, heeding him only when he told her she could go. All across the camp, cats lay, tired and injured. Most warriors seemed to be going into the dens to sleep, and neither the deputy nor the leader sought to stop any of them.

Emberpaw's burning amber eyes sought out Sparrowfeather, and found him up by the leader's den, conversing with a familiar black and white she-cat. Their leader, Ivystar, who seemed not to care in the slightest that one of her warriors was grievously injured in a fight that gained ThunderClan absolutely nothing.

_I hope you're proud of yourselves,_ Emberpaw thought bitterly as she crawled into the apprentice den to sleep. _I hope you think you've done the right thing._ She settled down into her mossy nest beside Skypaw's. The silvery white she-cat was there, curled up into a tight ball, smelling slightly of poppyseed and cobwebs. A deep cut showed on her back, and Emberpaw sighed. Her brother was there, too, his ear ripped open near the edge. He was probably going to sport that scar forever, an eternal reminder of Ivystar's terrible battle.

_I hope you realize you're wrong,_ Emberpaw thought, her amber eyes fluttering closed. _I hope you pay for this._


	4. Three

Thank you to everyone!

This chapter is written by the eloquent Sagebrainy.

* * *

**Three  
**

Alderpaw's eyes refused to open, and he wasn't inclined to argue with them. The battle had left him oddly sore, and his shoulders hurt if he tried too hard to move them. Unfortunately, they prey didn't tumble head over heels into the camp just because one more apprentice had a sore muscle or two.

Groaning, Alderpaw stretched and rose from his small nest. Ferretpaw was gone, though it didn't matter much. Alderpaw didn't want criticism from anyone other than Spiderfur, and that would be enough. Glancing back one more time at his still-cozy nest, Alderpaw headed out of the den. Spiderfur was waiting by the entrance, pacing back and forth across the limp leaves.

Spiderfur glared as Alderpaw approached, lashing his tail in distress. "Where have you been? The prey's not going to hunt itself!"

Alderpaw paused, taken aback by Spiderfur's irritability. "I was sleeping. Is that a crime now?"

"Listen, we need to get all the apprentices ready."

"Ready for what?"

Spiderfur stiffened, like he'd said something wrong. "Never mind. Where's Morningpaw?"

"Still asleep." Alderpaw bounded into the apprentice den, eager to keep Spiderfur's temper down. Spiderfur was nice enough, but his temper could run away with him sometimes.

"Alderpaw!" Whisperpaw's quiet voice came from the other side of the den. "I've already looked, she's not here."

Alderpaw froze, eyes trained on Whisperpaw's slight frame. "You're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!"

"Whisperpaw, Alderpaw? What's wrong?" Ferretpaw yawned, stretching in his nest of crackling moss. It'd be time to get the moss changed soon.

"Nothing, go back to sleep." Alderpaw motioned for Whisperpaw to come out of the den, but she stayed put, glaring at Alderpaw.

"We can't find Morningpaw. Do you know where she might be?" Whisperpaw's icy blue eyes flashed, still locked on Alderpaw's own.

"She said she was going hunting. What happened?"

"Never mind. She probably just left without us. Go back to sleep."

Whisperpaw picked her way through the resting apprentices, slipping out of the den with Alderpaw in tow. Alderpaw could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his breath quickening. It wasn't like Morningpaw to go out alone, especially with tensions as high as they were. Alderpaw scanned the bramble strewn camp for Morningpaw, the fresh-kill pile, the shaded rocks, even near the leader's den. He ran towards the entrance, picking up a faint trail near the thorns.

_That's odd,_ Alderpaw opened his mouth to taste the air a second time. It was definitely Morningpaw, but something was off. The trail led back around the side of the camp, but that wasn't the only thing, there was another scent, one underlying Morningpaw's. Alderpaw shook his head, going back into the camp.

"Did you find her?" Whisperpaw was standing on the other side of the dark meadow, Spiderfur crouched behind her.

"No." Alderpaw shrugged. "I think she left without us. It's not a huge deal, let's just head out."

Spiderfur strode slowly to stand by the entrance. "I guess we'll get going, then. If she's not back by sunhigh someone will need to look for her."

Alderpaw followed Spiderfur meekly, Whisperpaw close behind. The dappled, musty, sickly leaves overhead just added to his growing sense of unease. The brambles scratched at Alderpaw's feet as he padded through the dense forest, lost in thought. Familiar smells rose around him, reminding him of his first leaf-fall. The chilly wind ripped through the ferns and trees, taking all the greenleaf warmth with it.

Spiderfur stopped abruptly, Alderpaw barely avoiding crashing into him. "Do you hear that?"

Rabbits, birds, squirrels, mice. Alderpaw twitched his ears. "That's odd." A thicket seemed to be the source of the sounds, but upon closer examination the sounds were simple echoes. Not that it mattered to Alderpaw, it meant there was tunnels nearby. And food. Whisperpaw seemed to have come to the same conclusion.

Almost on instinct, Alderpaw and Whisperpaw ran in different directions. There were a few clearings and meadows that would be perfect candidates for housing the prey. Caught up in the excitement, Alderpaw nearly ran head on into Morningpaw.

Morningpaw yelped in surprise, almost dropping her mouthful of mice. "Aldehpah," Morningpaw's voice was heavily muffled by the frail bodies of the mice. "Wahch where you're going."

"We were looking for you everywhere, Morningpaw! Where were you when we were supposed to head out?"

Morningpaw dropped her mouthful of prey to answer. "Out hunting. You three sleepyheads were taking too long."

Alderpaw sighed in relief, staring embarrassedly at the mice. "Is there any more?"

"Yeah, under a little dark rock. Just off to the side of the notch. Not much, though, just a sparrow and a shrew."

Alderpaw started off, shaking a little. Something seemed wrong with Morningpaw, but he couldn't figure out what. The trail Alderpaw was following wasn't all that confusing, so he allowed his thoughts to wander.

Where'd she been, Morningpaw, if her scent trail led back towards the camp? Alderpaw drew up a mental image of the camp, the territory. The only place she could have gone would be twoleg place, and that would explain the mice. One thing that didn't fit, though, was why her scent pooled near to the thorn wall. There was nothing there, it was just a muddy expanse where no scent stuck for more than a day.

It didn't really matter, though. Alderpaw found the little black rock Morningpaw had told him about, as well as the sparrow and the shrew. The notch Morningpaw had referred to was a small sapling that had the claw marks from when Morningpaw and Alderpaw were apprentices. It wasn't important, really. Not anymore, but it was a little reminder of what had passed. A lot had come to an abrupt end, ever since this battle over the code had started.

Kittypets were _never_ meant to be warriors. The soft things would never be able to hold their own in a fight. Firestar… well, he was an exception, and never should have happened anyway. Some changes needed to happen, and this was one of them.


	5. Four

This chapter is written by Gingehfish.

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**Four**

The day dawned bright and chilly. When Emberpaw crawled out of the apprentices den, she shivered. Leaf-bare was coming. _We'd better start stocking up on prey,_ she thought. Then she remembered the previous day's battle, and the war with ShadowClan. Ivystar wouldn't care about prey—just about fighting.

Muttering under her breath, Emberpaw trudged over to the warrior's den. While she didn't have a patrol early in the morning, she had slept poorly and had risen with the sun. Her aching bones cried out in protest, but after she stretched out her limbs, their complaints died down to unhappy mutters.

Cedarclaw was crouched outside the warrior's den. He had a long scratch on his shoulder from the battle, but it looked shallow and would heal easily. She padded up to him.

"Hi," she greeted him, her voice rough. She coughed and said, clearer this time, "What are we doing today, Cedarclaw? Hunting?"

The big brown tom shook his head. "No, battle training with your friends Skypaw and Acornpaw," he replied. He must have seen the disappointment on her face, because he added, "Ivystar's orders."

"What about Icepaw?" Emberpaw asked.

"I think Sparrowfeather's taking him on a border patrol," Cedarclaw said. "WindClan, not ShadowClan."

Emberpaw nodded. "When are we going?"

"I thought I'd give you the morning off," her mentor said. "We go to the mossy clearing at sunhigh. You have my permission to eat."

"Thanks, Cedarclaw!" she said, relieved. Her belly had been rumbling. She trotted over to the fresh-kill pile and picked out a nice-looking vole.

"Hey!" a high-pitched whiny voice called out. "You can't eat now, you haven't been on patrol yet!"

Emberpaw sighed. Spotfur. That idiot had only been a warrior for a moon—they had shared dens for a little while—and already she was acting like she was leader.

"Cedarclaw gave me permission," she said, exasperated.

"Oh really?" Spotfur said, sticking her nose in the air. "I'll go ask him!" She trotted off toward the warrior's den where Cedarclaw was staring at the ground, still looking half asleep.

They exchanged a few words, and Spotfur walked back to the fresh-kill pile with a disappointed expression on her face. "You got lucky this time," she hissed at Emberpaw. The black she-cat rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything as she carried her vole back to the apprentice's den.

The vole quickly disappeared into her hungry stomach. She stretched, took a walk around the camp to warm up her muscles, and then poked her head into the apprentice's den. Skypaw was still asleep, but Acornpaw was blinking up at her sleepily.

"Morning, Emberpaw," the brown tabby mumbled through a yawn. "Wha..." She yawned again, then shook her head, as if to clear it. "What are we doing today? D'you talk to Cedarclaw and Darktail?" The latter was Acornpaw's mentor, a younger warrior with a good sense of humor.

"Yeah," Emberpaw replied. "Battle training in the mossy clearing, at sunhigh. Me, you, Skypaw, and our mentors."

"Not Icepaw?" Acornpaw asked curiously.

Emberpaw shook her head. "He's on a border patrol right now. Cedarclaw didn't say what Sparrowfeather was doing with him today."

Acornpaw stood up and got out of her nest. Emberpaw left the den, her friend close behind. Acornpaw gazed wistfully at the fresh-kill pile while Emberpaw began to groom her black fur.

"You can eat," she said through a mouthful of hair. "Cedarclaw said so."

Soon Skypaw was up as well. The morning got off to a slow start, but at last, about an hour before sunhigh, Emberpaw and her friends were fully awake and ready for the day.

"Do you want to go hunting?" Emberpaw suggested. "There's an hour yet 'til sunhigh, and I don't like lazing around."

Acornpaw sighed. "All right," she grumbled. "I do, but the Clan can use the prey."

Emberpaw purred in amusement. Acornpaw was notorious for sleeping in late whenever she could, and would rather relax than train. Emberpaw was different, though—she couldn't stand doing nothing and liked to keep busy.

Skypaw was unusually quiet this morning. Most of the time, she was bubbly and cheerful, but always ready to prove herself because of her birth.

"Skypaw?" Emberpaw said gently. "What do you think?"

"What?" the silver tabby said distractedly. "Sorry, I was thinking. Hunting? Yeah, sure."

"You seem down today," Acornpaw said in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Skypaw said, but she was unenthusiastic. "It's just..."

"Go on," Acornpaw urged. She was good at getting cats to talk. Emberpaw blinked at her kittypet friend. No, she couldn't think like that—Skypaw had been living in the forest for moons, she was a ThunderClan cat now. This whole war was for Skypaw, and for the few others in the Clan like her, like Emberpaw's father Frostpelt, who was also a former kittypet.

Skypaw scowled at the ground and burst out, "I feel so guilty! So many cats were hurt yesterday, and... and it's all my fault! This war is for me, it doesn't benefit the rest of the Clan, it's just for me, and cats will die and it will be all my fault!"

"Hey!" Acornpaw exclaimed. "That's not true! This war _is_ for you, but it's for the other cats who used to be kittypets, too! Emberpaw's father, Frostpelt! Puddlenose, he was a kittypet a long time ago! Brightfur! And Sparrowfeather, his grandfather was a kittypet!"

"Yeah... still—"

"I'm just getting started, too," Acornpaw said fiercely, interrupting Skypaw. "Do you see anyone complaining about this war? We love you, Skypaw, and all the others who weren't forest-born. We wouldn't let the other Clans make you leave! We know this is the right thing to do! It's not your fault, it's _ShadowClan's_ fault for suggesting that stupid rule anyway!"

Skypaw smiled. "Thanks, Acornpaw," she said gratefully. "I guess I was being a bit silly."

"Now, I don't want to ever hear you talk like that again," the tabby she-cat scolded. "Let's go hunting."

"Yeah, Skypaw, we'll fight for you," Emberpaw supplied, though her words were forced. She did love Skypaw, and felt bad for disagreeing with Ivystar and the rest. While she didn't like ShadowClan's suggestion, they should have agreed, or negotiated, or pretended to go along with it. Emberpaw would never blame Skypaw for the deaths, but she could and would blame Applestar and Ivystar for not even trying to make peace.

Emberpaw sighed. She wished she could believe in their cause as much as Acornpaw did.

* * *

Their hunting excursion was brief. Emberpaw only had time to catch a mouse and a scrawny squirrel before sunhigh arrived. The apprentices buried their prey in caches to pick up on their way back to camp after their training session and headed to the mossy clearing in the forest.

Cedarclaw, Darktail, and Skypaw's mentor, Weedfur, were waiting for them when the three young she-cats arrived.

"Apprentices," Cedarclaw, the oldest of their mentors, greeted them. He was standing still and calm, his tail twitching very slightly, the picture of surety. Beside him crouched Darktail, his thick gray fur puffed out slightly to guard him from the cold. Weedfur, the youngest of the three, fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable around the older warriors. Her yellow eyes winked at Skypaw.

"Hi!" Acornpaw said cheerily. "We went hunting. I hope we're not late."

Weedfur shook her head. "No, you're fine."

"Let's get started!" Darktail mewed. "Okay, today is just a practice spar. Ivystar wants the apprentices to be ready for the next attack on ShadowClan."

Emberpaw scowled. The _next _attack? How much fighting would there be? How far would Ivystar take this?

"Oh, good," Acornpaw exclaimed. "I was beaten by some she-cat apprentice last time, and I want to get back at her!"

"I'm glad to see you're enthusiastic, Acornpaw," Darktail said, smiling. "Come on. Skypaw, Acornpaw, you two spar for awhile. Weedfur will supervise."

The two apprentices got into position and began to spar. "What am I doing?" Emberpaw asked Cedarclaw, head tilted inquisitively.

"I'm going to teach you a new battle move," he rumbled. "Darktail's going to help me."

"What's it called?" she asked, moving aside so Darktail and Cedarclaw could take their positions.

"It doesn't have a name, I made it up," Cedarclaw replied. "Now watch." Darktail turned around so he couldn't see Cedarclaw.

"It's an ambush maneuver," Cedarclaw explained. The big brown tom crouched down. "Imagine there's undergrowth between me and Darktail." Quickly, Cedarclaw's front paws darted out from under him and hit Darktail's haunches. His back paws stayed rooted to the ground, however, and he pulled his front paws back into the 'undergrowth'. Emberpaw gasped quietly. That looked very hard—to keep your balance would be especially difficult.

Over on the other corner of the clearing, Weedfur called out, "No—Acornpaw! Don't attack like that, you'll fall ov—"

There was thumping noise, and Weedfur sighed. "Skypaw, stop. Acornpaw, here's how you do that attack..."

"Is that it?" Emberpaw asked.

"No, wait," Cedarclaw instructed. Darktail turned around and hissed at where Cedarclaw used to be, attacking the air. The big brown tom had darted around to avoid him, presumably still concealed in the imaginary undergrowth, and then pounced on Darktail's back.

Then he got off the other warrior and turned to face Emberpaw. "_That's_ it."

"Okay," she said. "I think I've got it. Do you want me to try?"

"Yes, let's get started," he said firmly.

* * *

The next few hours were spent practicing the battle move. Once Skypaw and Acornpaw finished sparring, Emberpaw demonstrated on her mentor and her friends began to practice as well while she perfected the technique.

The sun was sinking under the horizon when Cedarclaw dismissed them and praised them for their good work. The other two mentors, Darktail and Weedfur, were just as pleased as the apprentices. It had been a fairly good day, though Emberpaw still wished they had been hunting and not fighting.

She offered to pick up their caches of prey while the others went back to camp.

"Be careful," Cedarclaw warned. "See you at camp."

"I'll be fine," she replied cheerfully.

The branches of the trees obscured the setting sun, and the forest was dark. Crickets chirped in the undergrowth, and she could hear the rustling sounds of prey throughout the wood. Her stomach rumbled, but she didn't stop to hunt—she would pick something off the fresh-kill pile back at camp.

She found their cache undisturbed. As she dug up the dead animals, a strange and hostile scent wafted through the air. Emberpaw paused. Was that... ShadowClan scent?

She dropped the fresh-kill back into the hole and quickly covered it back up. She needed to investigate this.

Cedarclaw's words echoed through her ears: _Be careful._ She padded quietly through the forest, ears pricked, eyes alert for any trace of movement.

There—a rustle in the bushes!

She crept up to where the noise had come from. ShadowClan scent was strong there. She resisted the urge to growl. How dare they invade ThunderClan territory!

Emberpaw looked around and blinked in surprise. She was very close to the border, much closer than she had thought. What if there was a patrol just waiting for her to come into view? Her heart pounded quickly, and she backed away from the bushes.

There was an explosion in the bushes. A small figure—pale gray fur, a flash of bright colored eyes, possibly blue, a long tail—burst out of the undergrowth and bounded out of the forest into ShadowClan territory.

Emberpaw hissed in irritation and muttered some choice words under her breath. The cat—the scent revealed it to be a she-cat—had escaped! Thrashing her tail in irritation, she stalked back into the forest.

Emberpaw was so distracted that she didn't notice Ivystar sitting by a tree nearby until she walked right into her.

"Iv—Ivystar!" she stammered, eyes wide. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where—"

"It's fine, Emberpaw," the ThunderClan leader said smoothly. "So you chased that intruder out, did you?"

"Um..." While that was not _quite _the truth, she was grateful that Ivystar had provided an excuse for her. "...Yes."

"Very good," Ivystar said approvingly. "I had tracked her to the middle of the territory where she was eating some of_ our_ prey, but I thought I'd let you chase her away."

"Um... thanks?" Emberpaw said awkwardly. She had never really liked Ivystar—the leader was too warlike and stubborn—and she didn't like talking to her, but she'd never really had to by herself.

"What are you doing out here all alone, anyway?" the black-and-white she-cat asked sharply.

"Collecting prey from earlier, but I smelled that intruder and got sidetracked," Emberpaw said shakily.

Ivystar nodded curtly. "Well, there's no need to mention this to anyone else. I'm the top cat in the Clan, I'll tell Sparrowfeather to step up the patrols on this side of the border." She shook her head. "Those ShadowClan cats... they'll do anything to win this war and discriminate against kittypets and outsiders."

"Yes, ma'am," Emberpaw agreed quietly.

"Now, get your prey and head back to camp," Ivystar said briskly. "I'll be along in a moment."

"Yes," she said, getting up and turning back. She picked up the prey from the cache and returned to camp without further incident. She went to her nest that night pondering the ShadowClan intruder and Ivystar's presence so close. Was it possible that wasn't just a coincidence?

No, she was thinking nonsense. Ivystar would never deal with ShadowClan cats. It was just chance that their leader had been so close. She needed to stop looking for sinister connections where there weren't any.

Still, the meeting left a bad taste in her mouth. How low were both Clans willing to stoop to win this war? Was it really worth the effort?

Emberpaw sighed, and cleared her mind in an effort to sleep. There was another long day of training ahead of her.


End file.
